The Quarter Moons (First and Last), act as a gentle, natural alarm for me. It’s about ready to be Waning Moon times, my favorite time for cleaning up internal or external messes, getting organized, thinking about what needs to get cleared, cleaned, purged, consecrated, wrapped up, and put away—for just the time-being, or permanently. You can reassess and decide what feels right to focus on at this time. My energy is usually lower, more internally focused at this time, and I attend to my physical needs accordingly; staying in more, resting, slowing down a bit.

This is also officially the first day of Spring, a lovely season for refreshingly chilly night bike rides or walks home, and excitedly watching seeds push through the earth as their latest incarnation. On this vernal equinox, the Sun crosses the celestial equator, from south to north. The brighter days now herald more activity and outward expression. During the waning time, let’s focus in on a bit of release in the emotional realm.

During this week, enact an emotional state of the union with yourself. Whether your interior life is impeccably maintained or you are barely keeping yourself from crying at work, doing forgiveness exercises is always helpful. We must release and clear space before we invite fresh chances to take hold.

Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself.

Some people think forgiveness is the same as welcoming someone who wronged you back into your life. It isn’t. Webster’s Dictionary defines forgiveness in this manner: “To cease to feel resentment against on account of a wrong committed.”

Pema Chodron writes: “‘Always meditate on whatever provokes resentment.’ Instead of the resentment being an obstacle, it’s a reminder…Resentment becomes a reminder not to feel bad about ourselves but to open further to the pain and to the awkwardness” (from When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times). We can use these areas in our lives as a gentle alarm to take stock of where we can lighten our heart’s load.

Having an active forgiveness practice isn’t easy when you are a trauma survivor, when you’ve been assaulted, when every day you may be subjected to hundreds of micro aggressions. Ultimately, an active forgiveness practice is imperative for the survivors, the empaths, the non-binaries of the world. If forgiving someone or something completely seems nearly impossible, start with the attempt. Again, we aren’t accepting someone back into our lives and hearts. We are pardoning, letting go, and moving on from resentment, blame, anger, and shame.

The power of forgiveness is such that it releases energetic cords and brings more tenderness into one’s heart, bringing us more into the present moment. As it is the present moment that holds the most influence, it boots our magick, our agency, and our empowerment as well.

Forgiveness also facilitates us to step into a new way of being. It releases our neural pathways from stuck grudges and outdated stories into awakened loosened up possibility-based thinking. It reminds us that we can change, that there are ecstatic forthcomings on the other side of the wall that must be knocked down.

As the wonderful Lily Tomlin famously said : “Forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past.”